B-A-R-R-Y Z-I-T-OClap Clap, Clap Clap Clap
Nobody in the Bay Area would have thought Giants fans would ever be caught on camera chanting for overpriced/underachieving Barry Zito. But that is truly the beauty of sports, seeing the unheard of and unthinkable happen right before your eyes.
At AT&T Park last night I watched Barry Zito pitch one gem of a game. I saw him shut down one of the greatest hitters in the league in Albert Pujols. My eyes were bugging watching him pitch out of jams of his own making, leaving the St. Louis Cardinals with men stranded in scoring position. I and the rest of the Giants faithful found ourselves singing the praises of a man who just a season ago was still the punchline to economic downturn jokes throughout the bay.
With Barry caught in a pitching duel against Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, fans snuggled up to the idea that Barry was finally performing at the level he was paid to perform at.
Finally when the Giants bats came alive, along with some gracious base running breaks, Zito was summoned to protect a 2-0 Giants lead. That's when the pigs were seen flying at AT&T Park. Chants, melodious syncopated chants of Barry! Barry! Barry! were heard echoing in the crisp San Francisco evening air.
Barry Zito would strike out his tenth Cardinal of the evening in the top of the 8th and heroically walk off the mound to cheers reminiscent of home run king Barry Bonds. The evening belonged to Barry Zito, and it felt special witnessing the fan acceptance and appreciation of a man who's struggled as a Giant the last three seasons.
| St. Louis | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wainwright(L, 3-1) | 8.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1.69 |
| Totals | 8.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2.87 |
| San Francisco | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zito(W, 3-0) | 8.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 1.32 |
| Wilson, B(S, 4) | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Totals | 9.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 2.82 |
